Profile

VIRTUE, Ronald
(Service number 24253)

Aliases Born Ronald Farrell VIRTUE
First Rank Lance Corporal Last Rank Lance Corporal

Birth

Date 13 April 1897 Place of Birth Timaru

Enlistment Information

Date 9 February 1916 Age 18 years 10 months
Address at Enlistment Charles Street, Timaru
Occupation Bank clerk
Previous Military Experience 2nd South Canterbury Regiment - serving
Marital Status Single
Next of Kin D. VIRTUE (father), Queen Street, Timaru
Religion
Medical Information

Military Service

Served with NZ Armed Forces Served in Army
Military District

Embarkation Information

Body on Embarkation New Zealand Expeditionary Force
Unit, Squadron, or Ship 13th Reinforcements, Canterbury Infantry Battalion, C Company
Date 27 May 1916
Transport Willochra or Tofua
Embarked From Wellington Destination
Other Units Served With
Last Unit Served With Canterbury Regiment

Military Awards

Campaigns
Service Medals
Military Awards

Award Circumstances and Date

No information

Prisoner of War Information

Date of Capture
Where Captured and by Whom
Actions Prior to Capture
PoW Serial Number
PoW Camps
Days Interned
Liberation Date

Discharge

Date 17 September 1919 Reason

Hospitals, Wounds, Diseases and Illnesses

Post-war Occupations

Winch driver

Death

Date 17 November 1972 Age 75 years
Place of Death Grey Hospital, Greymouth
Cause
Notices
Memorial or Cemetery Greymouth Cemetery
Memorial Reference
New Zealand Memorials

Biographical Notes

Ronald Farrell Virtue, known as Bill, was born on 13 April 1897 at Timaru, the second son of David Wilson and Sarah Elizabeth (née Farrell) Virtue. Sarah Elizabeth Virtue died at Timaru in 1903, when Ronald was not six years old. David Virtue was the town clerk of Timaru for many years. Ronald was educated at Sacred Heart School Timaru and the Marist Brothers School Timaru.

Ronald Virtue enlisted on 9 February 1916, stating that he was 20 years and 8 months old, whereas he was only18 years and 10 months of age. He had given a birthdate of 4 April 1895. He was already serving with the 2nd South Canterbury Regiment. Lance Corporal Virtue embarked at Wellington on 27 May 1916 with the Canterbury Infantry Battalion of the 13th Reinfocements.

After more than three years overseas, R. Virtue returned to New Zealand (Timaru) by the “Somerset” which was due at Lyttelton about 12 August 1919. He married Winifred (Winnie) Coulthard on 26 February 1932 at Greymouth. He also saw service in World War Two. Ronald Farrell Virtue died on 17 November 1972 at Grey Hospital, Greymouth, aged 75 years. Winifred had died in 1961 and Ronald was buried with her in the Greymouth Cemetery. His oldest brother, Gerald David Virtue, was listed on the Reserve Rolls.

Sources

Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [18 March 2022]; NZ BDM Indexes (Department of Internal Affairs) [18 March 2022]; School Admission record (South Canterbury Branch NZSG) [20 March 2022]; Greymouth Cemetery headstone transcription [20 March 2022]; Timaru Herald, 8 August 1919 (Papers Past) [16 March 2022]

External Links

Related Documents

No documents available. 

Researched and Written by

Teresa Scott, SC branch NZSG

Currently Assigned to

Not assigned.

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